Information Assurance (IA) and Identity Management (IdM) is more important today than ever before. Since the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001,
our nation has experienced a new urgency to develop assurance systems that will secure access to vital information and installations.
Our military and civilian personnel work in buildings that must be safe and work on systems that must not be compromised. It is imperative
that we know exactly who these people are so that we can entrust our nation's security to them.

In 2000, the Department of Defense (DoD) Biometrics Management Office (BMO), since renamed the Biometrics Task Force (BTF), became a
focal point for IA and IdM efforts across the
military. The science of biometrics is based on the principle that personal identification characteristics such as fingerprints,
hand and face geometry, the iris of your eye, and voice patterns are unique to an individual and cannot be forgotten, lost, or stolen.
This technology, once thought to be futuristic, is available now to protect information systems and facilities that are vital to our nation.

BRTRC has provided the BTF (and BMO) with exceptional support since 2000 after the organization was directed to lead, consolidate,
and coordinate the adoption and institutionalization of biometric activities for the DoD to enable identity dominance and identity assurance
in support of national security. In order to accomplish this, the BTF must engage a broad group of stakeholders across DoD and the greater
U.S. government community. It must effectively communicate its program mission, goals, and achievements to all relevant stakeholders and
must solicit and gather feedback from that community. The government relies on BRTRC's experience and expertise to establish effective and
lasting mechanisms for communicating and coordinating with BTF stakeholders.

BRTRC's stakeholder coordination and strategic communications program serves three important purposes critical to the BTF mission:

We provide mechanisms and forums for coordinating input from the biometric stakeholder community for the purposes of gathering
user requirements, establishing interoperability standards, developing policy, and sharing information.

We facilitate the process of building consensus among key decision making personnel for the purpose of establishing a DoD BTF
enterprise strategy.

We educate the DoD and industry stakeholders about the potential applications for biometric technologies and coordinate messaging for
DoD biometric initiatives. Our media includes Web Sites, marketing collateral, presentations, and conferences.

By utilizing a systematic communication model to develop and implement the program, BRTRC is ensuring effective two-way communications.
In addition, BRTRC conceptualized and stood up the Biometric Senior Coordinating Group (BSCG), a general officer/Senior Executive Service-level
body chartered to oversee the development, evaluation, and implementation of biometrics enterprise solutions for DoD.

Our subject-matter experts leverage their knowledge of identity management capabilities of current and future systems to conduct
critical requirements analyses across the functional communities (e.g., military intelligence, logistical, medical, financial, etc.)
with a focus on logical access, physical access, and force protection. Findings from requirements analyses are presented to the BSCG,
which issues guidance on best practices for the collection, storage, access, retrieval, and use of biometric data.

Education Facility

Through extensive research and analysis of biometric technologies, BRTRC developed the Biometrics Demonstration Facility —
a state-of-the-art educational facility designed to reflect the current standing of biometric technology and recent DoD Biometrics
initiatives. BRTRC Strategy & Communications Group (SCG) produced video presentations, interactive Biometrics 101 kiosks, and a
three-screen multimedia enterprise solution to create a genuinely engaging educational experience. SCG began with these devices and
never lost sight of their educational potential as the pieces of this 2,350-square-foot exhibit were put together. Our personnel
scheduled and conducted tours, hosted VIP guests, and provided related presentations and demonstrations. We designed, developed,
and produced multimedia, technology demonstrations, graphics, and signage in the facility to create a unique approach for educating
DoD and industry stakeholders.